Vet Expense

[Burpdog]

I occassionally say to my vet "let's do old time medicine" and I don't feel bad doing that. Many times I ask "will that change the treatment if we know for sure" and I'm told no, but we will know. I already know and the test is just confirming it, not diagnosing it.

 

For some years I was fortunate to have good greyhound vets at Banfield, so I used both Banfield and my current vet, depending on the treatment.

 

I'm old and I can't take anything with me when I go, so I'd rather spend the money on the dogs than buy "things" or buy gifts for grandchildren and children who neither need them, nor appreciate them.

[Guest Fasave]

I do a combination of things. I have pet insurance on my two pups ($110/month for both, 90% coverage, $300 annual deductible, ages 4 & 7). With my first two greys, insurance was invaluable. I also have a care credit card (0% interest up to one year for expenses over $1,000) which I've used to pay anything not covered by insurance. It's back up because while I can afford it now, you never know when things will get tight. And it did for me when I was laid off from work a while back on the same day my pup was admitted to ICU and I had just signed a $6,000 estimate for his care. I read this forum and try to learn about everything. I have lots of friends with greyhounds and learn about their experiences.

 

I sometimes go directly to a specialist and by pass my regular vet as I've learned it can sometimes cost you more to keep "guessing". In fact, I have a dental scheduled with a dentist for my four year old. He's never had a dental. His teeth aren't bad but I want x-rays and someone who knows what to look for and take care of anything that could become problematic in the future. I brush every night so my hope is that this will be his last dental so while it will cost more now, in the long run I'm hoping to be in a better place.

 

My experiences sometimes make me wonder what is being taught in vet school these days. It's so easy to recommend an expensive test and not have to think through the whole situation. On the advice of my vet, I took one of my pups to a neurologist after he was displaying weird "episodes". This young neurologist said it was his back and after a 20 minute visit in which she spent 15 minutes typing my "log of events" into her computer and only 5 minutes of actually touching my dog, she recommended an MRI. I took him for a second opinion with a neurologist who happened to be an older man. He spent 1.5 hours with me asking detailed questions about all the notes in my log, watching my dog walk, palpating and feeling over his whole body. In the end he explained he was likely having stomach cramping causing him to walk differently and sure enough, later on he was diagnosed with IBD and he never once had a back problem.

 

I hope I don't get to a place in life where I can't have a dog. I just can't imagine what that life would be like.

[brianamac]

If you can afford the "anything he needs," great. If you can't, I don't think anyone should ever feel guilty about not spending money they don't have at the vet. If your animal is suffering, you do what you have to do to alleviate their suffering--which is not always to "fight" whatever the problem is.

 

This exactly.

We have insurance for the dog that should take care of most anything, but our cats are both older and this is our stance. We had a logical talk about what we could afford to spend on treatments for them. With student loans already, we really can't go into any unreasonable debt. If a treatment had a high chance of saving their life/having them live many more years, would we be flexible on our 'animal spend limit'? Yes. But if it would just 'fight' the problem? We agreed on a responsible dollar amount during a logical, non emotional time. That amount is what will get spent.

[GeorgeofNE]

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run. We were turned down by VPI because of it (even though I have an email from Dr. Couto himself saying the values are "perfectly within normal limits FOR A GREYHOUND." At a certain age, insurance becomes very expensive, and aside from the $$ cost, I do not believe most dogs would choose invasive treatments, countless hours being poked, prodded, examined, held at the vet for observation, etc. With a father who is a virtual vegetable right now, in a nursing home, I happen to believe that letting go and taking into account what the DOG would want is much kinder that throwing money at something like a terminal illness in order to extend a dog's life.

[brianamac]

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run. We were turned down by VPI because of it (even though I have an email from Dr. Couto himself saying the values are "perfectly within normal limits FOR A GREYHOUND." At a certain age, insurance becomes very expensive, and aside from the $$ cost, I do not believe most dogs would choose invasive treatments, countless hours being poked, prodded, examined, held at the vet for observation, etc. With a father who is a virtual vegetable right now, in a nursing home, I happen to believe that letting go and taking into account what the DOG would want is much kinder that throwing money at something like a terminal illness in order to extend a dog's life.

 

[Guest KennelMom]

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run.

 

I hate running bloodwork b/c there is always SOMETHING "off" just a little it seems...been down some VERY expensive rabbit holes chasing down possible diagnoses only to have the vet come up empty and just decide that's just "normal" for that dog. We're kinda there right now with Emma...up to $400 and a vet that's shrugging their shoulders and saying we'll just retest in a few weeks. Sooooooooooooo.....over the years we've learned when to say yes and when to say no to additional testing. Sometimes we do "unnecessary" diagnostics because we just "want to know" and sometimes we don't.

 

Like you, though, while I appreciate the advances in vet medicine, I don't believe it's always the best/right/humane thing to try to squeeze every drop of life out of a dog, regardless of quality and I think that happens quite a bit. Dogs deserve to have dignity throughout their lives, even in the end.

 

Our care credit card usually always has a balance, but we pay them off before the promo period ends...feels like free money to get it interest free

Edited September 28, 2012 by KennelMom

[JJNg]

I hate running bloodwork b/c there is always SOMETHING "off" just a little it seems...been down some VERY expensive rabbit holes chasing down possible diagnoses only to have the vet come up empty and just decide that's just "normal" for that dog.

 

This is where it becomes important to look at the whole picture, and consider whether the dog is showing any clinical signs consistent with the bloodwork abnormalities before pursuing additional expensive tests (ie. 'treat the patient, not the labwork'). If the dog is not having any problems and something comes back "off" on the bloodwork, depending on what it is and how far off, I usually either make note of it but ignore it for the moment, or just retest in a month or two before going any further.

 

Other than typical increases in cost due to inflation, I really don't think that vet expenses are increasing significantly. The perceived increases seem to mostly be from advanced tests and treatment options which have become available in recent years.

 

However, just because advanced diagnostics and treatment options are available does not mean they are appropriate for every pet (factors such as age, overall health status, and temperament need to be taken into account), or for every client (who may differ in personal beliefs as well as budget). The only reasons to do an expensive diagnostic test are 1) if it is going to change the treatment plan, or 2) if the client needs an answer and just wants to know.

 

As a vet, it is my job to discuss all the options with the client, and help them determine which is the best course for their pet and their situation. This includes presenting them with options ranging anywhere from “do everything medically possible” to ” do nothing” (as long as the pet is not suffering, in which case euthanasia may be advised over “do nothing”). It is up to the client to decide what is right for them, and not my job to decide for them, or to judge them for their choice.

 

If you feel your vet is overcharging and pushing unnecessary tests, you need to either sit down and have a long talk with your vet, or switch vets. I believe that the client-vet relationship should be one built on trust, and decisions about a pet’s health care should be based on an open dialogue and cooperative effort between the vet and the owner.

 

A few articles I've recently come across that are relevant to this discussion:

The Cost of Veterinary Medicine

Why are Vets So Expensive?

Comparing the Costs of Human vs. Animal Health Care

[krissy]

As a vet, it is my job to discuss all the options with the client, and help them determine which is the best course for their pet and their situation. This includes presenting them with options ranging anywhere from “do everything medically possible” to ” do nothing” (as long as the pet is not suffering, in which case euthanasia may be advised over “do nothing”). It is up to the client to decide what is right for them, and not my job to decide for them, or to judge them for their choice.

 

This.

 

I always say "You have 3 options. A, B, and C." C is usually an option like "wait and see" or "monitor" or "palliation". A and B are different levels of diagnostics/treatment. Sometimes people will say something like "why are you even telling me about A? I told you I have financial concerns". I try my best to explain that it is my job and I am legally obligated to make sure owners have informed consent, and that means knowing ALL their options even the ones they might not want to do or can't afford. Because you never know.

 

I saw a cat for urinary trouble. They didn't want to do anything about it. Just wanted to wait and see. Saw her a month later because she wasn't any better. I gave them ALL their options thinking they would do one or two of the tests to start with. You know what they said? "Do it. Do it all, we need to figure out what's wrong". Found out she had stones. Told them they had the option of medical or surgical. Honestly kind of thought they'd balk at the price of surgery but they immediately said "do the surgery". Told them that their cat has a pretty significant heart murmur and was at increased risk for anesthesia. Best thing to do would be an echo to find out exactly what was wrong so we'd know how to make her anesthetic safer, but certainly let them know they didn't have to do the echo, just letting them know their options. They wanted to do it.

 

My point is I never know what a client is going to want to do so I need to offer everything that is available to them. The reality of the job is that you also need to protect yourself legally. If I don't offer an echo for a cat with a murmur and it dies under anesthetic that may become a really big problem for me. If I offered the echo and it was declined then that's informed consent.

 

You don't need to do every test or treatment your vet offers or suggests. We have to make sure you have all the information you need so that you can decide what you want to do. Just because a vet says you have the option of amputating and doing chemotherapy doesn't mean you have to. As we know from this forum plenty of people choose to palliate their osteo pups and there's nothing wrong with that.

[Guest KennelMom]

I hate running bloodwork b/c there is always SOMETHING "off" just a little it seems...been down some VERY expensive rabbit holes chasing down possible diagnoses only to have the vet come up empty and just decide that's just "normal" for that dog.

 

This is where it becomes important to look at the whole picture, and consider whether the dog is showing any clinical signs consistent with the bloodwork abnormalities before pursuing additional expensive tests (ie. 'treat the patient, not the labwork'). If the dog is not having any problems and something comes back "off" on the bloodwork, depending on what it is and how far off, I usually either make note of it but ignore it for the moment, or just retest in a month or two before going any further.

 

Other than typical increases in cost due to inflation, I really don't think that vet expenses are increasing significantly. The perceived increases seem to mostly be from advanced tests and treatment options which have become available in recent years.

 

However, just because advanced diagnostics and treatment options are available does not mean they are appropriate for every pet (factors such as age, overall health status, and temperament need to be taken into account), or for every client (who may differ in personal beliefs as well as budget). The only reasons to do an expensive diagnostic test are 1) if it is going to change the treatment plan, or 2) if the client needs an answer and just wants to know.

 

As a vet, it is my job to discuss all the options with the client, and help them determine which is the best course for their pet and their situation. This includes presenting them with options ranging anywhere from “do everything medically possible” to ” do nothing” (as long as the pet is not suffering, in which case euthanasia may be advised over “do nothing”). It is up to the client to decide what is right for them, and not my job to decide for them, or to judge them for their choice.

 

If you feel your vet is overcharging and pushing unnecessary tests, you need to either sit down and have a long talk with your vet, or switch vets. I believe that the client-vet relationship should be one built on trust, and decisions about a pet’s health care should be based on an open dialogue and cooperative effort between the vet and the owner.

 

A few articles I've recently come across that are relevant to this discussion:

The Cost of Veterinary Medicine

Why are Vets So Expensive?

Comparing the Costs of Human vs. Animal Health Care

 

Would you please open a practice in Greenville. Close to Easley would be super

[Cynthia]

 

I'm old and I can't take anything with me when I go, so I'd rather spend the money on the dogs than buy "things" or buy gifts for grandchildren and children who neither need them, nor appreciate them.

 

Exactly.

 

I'm retiring very soon with 3 dogs instead of the 2 that I had planned and budgeted for in my retirement.

 

Screw the budget. There are so many other places to save money, and you indeed can't take it with you.

 

A month ago I had 4 dogs, and if I could have saved my 9 year old girl regardless of cost, I would have. There are so many other areas to save money and cut expenses. And if necessary in this unpredictable economy I will dig into the principal of investments and not blink. My dogs are my biggest budget item (after freaking taxes) and surely contribute more to my happiness and health than anything else.

 

I do agree that it's so important to team with your vet in any pet's healthcare. Not just because of the costs though - but to ensure best and appropriate care for the particular dog.

[philospher77]

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run.

 

I hate running bloodwork b/c there is always SOMETHING "off" just a little it seems...been down some VERY expensive rabbit holes chasing down possible diagnoses only to have the vet come up empty and just decide that's just "normal" for that dog.

 

 

That's why I always try and have them run blood work at at least one "well-dog" visit. That way, if they get ill and do blood work, I have a "healthy" baseline to compare to. If X has always been a little high (or low) in the past, then it's not something to worry about when it shows up in the blood work when they are ill.

[Guest KennelMom]

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run.

 

I hate running bloodwork b/c there is always SOMETHING "off" just a little it seems...been down some VERY expensive rabbit holes chasing down possible diagnoses only to have the vet come up empty and just decide that's just "normal" for that dog.

 

 

That's why I always try and have them run blood work at at least one "well-dog" visit. That way, if they get ill and do blood work, I have a "healthy" baseline to compare to. If X has always been a little high (or low) in the past, then it's not something to worry about when it shows up in the blood work when they are ill.

 

I'm talking about running bloodwork on a well dog. We do it with a new dog and then every couple years or so. If they were sick, I'd expect abnormal values.., its the "well dog" labs I dread.

[Batmom]

Don't forget that for one or two "off" values, you can run a smaller set of labs rather than repeating the whole banana -- most labs have mini-panels for things like kidney values, liver values, etc.

 

My vets are usually pretty good about recommending things that should be rerun now vs. things that can wait 6 months or until we see a symptom. If they don't say, I ask.

 

I will admit to spending a fair lot on food, vet care, bedding. I don't buy much in the way of collars, leashes, coats, toys, supplements, holistic stuff (acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.), chemotherapy.... As with most things in life, tho, the OMG things are the ones you can't predict -- such as when Joseph's $2.99+tax toy turned into a $2200 emergency hospital stay and surgery. If you don't have pet insurance for those fun events, it's certainly wise to have an "oh spit" fund .

[Guest kick]

If that time ever comes maybe you could offer greysitting services for vacationers, out of your home, as well.

[TheFullHouse]

Honestly we've had 13 greyhounds so far and our vet bills were minimal until our dogs became seniors. Our vet is good at trying to save us as much as he can but there are times when we have to spend a bit on the dogs. We just have a bit put back for those occasions.